Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-07-22
ROMANCE OF MARY HARRIS.
How Judge Bradley Defended and Mar
ried the Emotional Murderess.

The recent death of the venerable Judge
Joseph III. Bradley of this city, recalls the
celebrated case which was the central fact
of his career and which obtained national
renown. Judge Bradley was well
stricken in years, says Washington
writer. He was the oldest member of the
bar in the district of Columbia and a gen
tleman of excellent repute and high stand
ing in the community. His ability rs an
advocate, which always ranked well, was
put TO hard test and did not prove lack
ing, in the case TO which allusion has been
made and with the details of which the
country was ringing twenty-thrcc years
ago. Along during the war there was
young unmarried man named Burroughs
in the employ of the Government here.
lie was a clerk in the Treasury Depart
ment, and was engaged to be married to n
Kentucky girl named Mary Harris. Bur.
roughs himself was Il kentuckian also. /
believe, but | am not sure rs 10 this point.
They had been engaged for a long time.
and it had been understood between them
that as soon as possible after he had gained
his expected cerkship at Washington and
had got settled and little ahead iinan.
cially, he would notify her. and the mar
riage would then take place. Burrows got
his position, and kept il a long while, but
the stipulated notification was not forth.
coming. Months elapsed, | perhaps
years, but he seemed not TO be able to get
settled" enough 10 marry-at any rate the
Kentucky girl heard no news of the desired
tenor. although they corresponded con-
stantlv, as bctrothed lovers, and his letters
as well as hers, were all that lover could
wish them 10 be.
But, though Burrows apparently had so
much trouble in getting things ready Tor
his marriage with Mary Harris he had
found ii easier TO manage In the case OF
another fair damscl whom nc had met in
this city, and in the light OF whose smiles
he had allowed the vision Of his faithful
Kentucky girl to fade and vanish away.
In other words, he changed his mind and
proved tickle TO Mary, aud that too, with
out informing her of the fact, either
directly or indirectly; and his marriage to
the other lady was at last appointed ior a
certain day in 1861.
But in an evil hour for him Mary lIar
ris in some way received information OF
the perfidy of Burrows and Of the date Of
his proposed nuptials-thc time then
being near at hand. She did not collapse
or spend any time in lamcntation or con
ferences with her kindred and friends. AS
soon as she heard the news She started di-
rectly for Washington, just as she was.
She did not change her dress, nor did she
stop to pack up. Without any baggage
or change of apparel she went at once
from her home TO the railway station, only
stopping on the road TO buy a p iOl, and
took the first train eastward. Upon her
arrival in this city she went TO no hotel or
restaurant but. without any dallving and
at the same time without any perceptible
excitement in her manner, proceeded
straight to the Treasury building, walked
into onI Of the entrances, found her way
10 the right corridor, sent word into Bur
rows room that some one wished 10 see
him outside the door, and when he
responded in person. after exchanging a
few sentences with him and learning from
him that the news was true, she quietly
drew her pistol and shot him dead, almost
on the very eve of his wedding day.
She then turned on Ter heel and walked
off in a buSiness-lillc way, bat made no
effort to escape and was of course soon
arrested. The tragedy and the unusual
circumstances attending it made pro-
found impression on the public far and
near. The trial was highly sensational
and attracted spectators from III parts of
the country. Mary Harris counse! was
Judge Brady, and although the evidence
was strongly against hcrand tLc sentiment
of the public, which might have been on
her side if she had uo, been so cool about
it all, Wa, also rathcra- aiu,t her, tAc Judge
brought her through U.umphautly on the
theory that. though perfectly sane before
and after the occurrence, She was that
time suffering from temporary attack Of
emotional insanity Ihis was The first
instance of precisely this line OF defense
and the phrase became a byWord every
where. Notwithstanding ia popular in
credulity rs TO the cNistauCe Of such
thing rs momcntary 'omotional insanity,
and Notwithstanding its apparent weak
ness rs a plea, it was successful in this
case and was subsequently applied with
frequency and success in similar cases, The
case of Laura ID. Fair, who killed cX-
Senator Crittcndon in California, being
perhaps the most conspicuous one.
But Mary Harris did not get Off scot
free Immediately. She was adjudgcd in
nOcent of murder, but still insane, and ac-
cOrdingly she was sentenced 10 confine
mcnt in St Elizabcth's Asylum in l&ss
city The scene at hcr acquittal was
most extraordinary one There was
great hubbub, in the midst OF which
Judge Bradley kissed his fair client and
exclaimed that She was noble woman,
and that if there were more like her there
would be fewer scamps in the world
which proposition would seem to be I'M
dcniably true.
Miss Harris was subjected to nominal
confinement in the asylum for many
years. although in reality ne was under
no cOnstraint Sine could come and 20
when she liked, and if She had chosen 10
she could have escaped at ny time. La
fact, she often passed whole months away
from the asylum. at the irginia Springs